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No. 626,988. Y Patented lune I3, |899. W. H. DOUGLAS.

CHEMICAL `FIRE EXTINGUISHER.

(Application flied Oct. 20, 1898.)

(N0 Model.)

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lUNTTnn STATES PATENT Trice.

l/VILLIAM II. DOUGLAS, OF IMASI-IING'ION, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, ASSIGNOROF ELEVEN-TW'ENTIETHS TO WILLIAM I'I. BECK, OF SAME PLACE..

CHEMICAL FIRE-ExTlNeuIsi-IER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 626,988, dated June 13,1899. Application filed October 20, 1898. Serial No. 694,152. (Nomodel.)

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM H. DOUGLAS, a citizen of the United States,residing at Washington, in the District of Columbia, have inventedcertain new and useful Improvements in Chemical Fire-Extinguishers; andI do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description ofthe invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which itappertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to that class of portable hre-extinguisherscomprising a main reservoir containing a liquid which when combined witha proper acid held in a normallysealed bottle contained within saidreservoir forms a fluid which will most quickly extinguish fires, saidacid being liberated automatically when the apparatus is inverted; andthe object of the invention is to provide a most simple and cheap meansfor sealing the acid-bottle, which is operated by gravity to liberatethe acid when the apparatus is inverted, which will'cause the acid tomixslowly with the solution in the main receptacle, thereby overcoming thedanger of explosion incident to constructions wherein there is a highpressure within the main receptacle created instantaneously by the rapidunion of the acid with the alkaline solution; and to this end myinvention consists in the parts and combinations of parts hereinaftershown and described, andmore particularly pointed out in the claims.

Referring to the drawings, Figure lis a vertical section of theapparatus in its normal position. Fig. 2 is a detail plan view. Fig. 3is a vertical section ofone-half of the apparatus, showing the sameinverted for use. Fig. 4 is a detail perspective View of the acid-bottleand its plug separated; and Fig. 5, a detailed vertical sectional Viewof the bottle, showing a modification.

Similar letters refer to similar parts throughout the several views.

The reservoir A is preferably made of metal of such thickness as towithstand the great pressure exerted thereon by the gases generated bythe mixing of the acid contained in the bottle B with the chemicalsolution contained in the reservoir. The neck surrounding the opening inthe reservoir is screwarranged a flexible washer b, resting on ashoulder c, formed on the cap, which is adapted to engage the rim oredge of the neck of the reservoir in order toforin an air-tight jointbetween the cap and the reservoir.. The washer b is made sufciently wideto engage the lugs formed on the acid-bottle, as will be hereinafterdescribed, for the purpose of holding the latter firmly in position inthe reservoir. Vithin the neck of the reservoir an inwardly-projectingflange F is formed, on which is supported the acid-bottle B, and betweenwhich iiange and the washer b the lugs d of the bottle B are held. Thebottle is of sufficientlyless diameter than the mouth or opening in thereservoir to provide a space t' elbow-joint has connected thereto in anydesired manner a flexible tube Z, which is to be provided with anydesired or suitable nozzle for discharging the fluid from the reservoirwhen the apparatus is being used.

The acid-bottle B is preferably made of glass and is formed withlugs d,which are arranged, preferably, at equal distance apart around andproject bothV laterally and vertically from the upper end of the bottle.These lugs serve the double purpose of engaging the flange F of thereservoir in order to support the bottle therein and also to prevent thelatter dropping or moving when the apparatus is inverted, and they arearranged as described for the purpose of permitting of the free passageof the fluid between them to mix with the acid escaping from the'bottle,as will now be described.

The plug for the bottle B is formed with a ange e, adapted to restclosely on the top or ICO rim of said bottle, and its bodyfis formed ofl a hollow cylinder whose diameter is such that mouth or opening in thebottle, into which it 'extends in order to form a vent for theacidbottle when the apparatus is inverted, as shown best in Fig. 3, andthus enable the acid to flow more freely through the series of openingsor perforations h, formed around the cylindrical body of the plug at apoint adjacent the flange e. Thus it Will be observed upon inverting theapparatus the plug will drop until arrested by the cap, as shown in Fig.3,

in which position the perforations h are un-` covered and the acid inthe bottle flows .or escapes therethrough in order to meet and mix withthe fluid inthe reservoir, the latter flowing freely through the spacebetween the opening in the reservoir and the body of the bottle B.

Owing to the space or passage g the bottle B is vented andthe steady anduniform flow of acid therefrom is thereby attained.

It is evident that the washerj may be dispensed with and shoulder c on.the cap enlarged to engage the lugs d, or that the latter may be madelonger, so as to engage the cap itself without departing from the scopeof my invention, and therefore I do not desire to be limited to theexact construction of the parts named as herein described and shown.Also it is evident that the body of the plug may be formed with the lugsfn', and a plug o, having discharge-openings p, is provided therefor.

Having thus described my invention, what Iclaim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is

1. The combination in a chemical fire-extinguisher, of analkali-reservoir, an acidbottle having a vent and immovably mounted withreference to said reservoir, and a movable plug for said bottle providedwith discharge-openings and'adapted to close and disclose said ventaccording to the position of the plug.

2. The combination, in a chemical fire-extin guisher, of a bottle, aplug having a hollow cylindrical body formed with openings and adaptedto enter the mouth of said bottle so as to provide a vent-spacethereabout, and a flange formed on said plug to support the sa me inposition and to close said vent-space.

3. The combination, in a fire-extinguisher, of an alkali-reservoir formed with a flange in its mouth, an acid-bottle having lugs extendinglaterally from and projecting above the mouth of said bottle, and a capfor the mouth of the reservoir adapted to close the same and to engagethe said lugs, whereby the bottle is held firmly in position.

4. The combination in a chemical fire-extinguisher, of an acid-bottle,and a plug for said bottle provided with discharge-openings and aflange, the said bottle having a vent situated contiguous to said flangeand adapted to be closed thereby.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

WILLIAM H. DOUGLAS.

Witnesses:

HUGH M. STERLING, FRANK MONTGOMERY.

